


Fire Igniter

by yersifanel



Category: The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Dragon Riders, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-05
Updated: 2017-09-05
Packaged: 2018-12-24 01:31:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12002115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yersifanel/pseuds/yersifanel
Summary: "My dragon didn't even hatch, how could I be an Igniter when I wasn't able to set one fire into the world?"In which there's Dragons, Riders, Wranglers, and whatever Bogue is. Vasquez did not sing up for for this madness, but he will face it anyway, because Faraday seems to be a package deal.





	Fire Igniter

**Author's Note:**

> This is Tumblr's fault, I was scrolling and there was a picture of Chris Pratt in his Faraday getup, then a picture of a Dragon and everything went downhill from there. Also, I regret nothing.
> 
> Please enjoy my silly story!

Bartholomew Bogue was a man to be fear and respected, he decided that before anyone could make any objection. Thus, he arranged his actions to show the world _why_ he was to be respected, no matter what or whom he had to take down to do so, as he was doing at that very moment.

The cage was impressive, solid metal bars carved with the appropriate symbols as well as the amulets he made himself, the rings in his hands shimmered with power and the beast inside the cage roared again, fire breath ready to strike.

"None of that," he said with narrowed eyes, brushing his knuckles together, making the rings brush against each other and the power made the whole area vibrate, "Behave."

The winged beast roared in pain, wings banging against the bars, the jewel in his forehead shimmered constantly, until there was silence and the beast lowered his head to the ground, claws scrapping the floor, whining miserably.

Bogue knocked on the bars with his rings, opening the seals and stepping into the cage, his hand extended over the beat's head. Green lizard like eyes watched him in annoyance, but Bogue didn't even acknowledge them. Instead, he produced a new ring from his pocket, showing it to the beast in question.

"I made this especially for you," he smirked when the beast eyed him warily, "Gold and diamond, it suits you."

The beast made a low growl and Bogue smirked, the diamond in the ring was from the same source as the one incrusted in the beat's forehead of course, as it should be. He placed the ring on his right ring finger and turned his hand, touching the stone against the one in the beast's head.

The winged beast made a loud sound, his body tensed and shivering. Bogue pressed harder, muttering the words his family had been crafting for this rituals for generations. After what felt like hours, the beast's body was covered in a faint glow that increased little by little until it became a blinding light that hide him, making him change shapes, leaving a tired looking man shivering on the floor.

"There you are," Bogue smirked, kneeling besides the man who was trying very hard to curl into himself and ignore Bogue, unsuccessfully. 

Bogue grabbed him by the hair to arch his head, with his other hand brushed the sweat soaked strains of hair from his brown to found the glowing white diamond in the top of his head, incrusted between skin and bone, as he wanted.

"Mind you, this would have been so much easier if you were not such a stubborn beast, Faraday."

"Well, excuse me for rejecting you, Bart, but you ain't my type," green eyes glared at him and Bogue backhanded him immediately, then grabbed him be the hair again, pressing his thumb into the jewel and setting his nerves ablaze, "D-Damn you."

"You're mine now, get used to that."

Faraday spat a curse in a tongue not made for humans and Bogue just chuckled, complete aware that such action hurt the defeated dragon as much as the magic he had used to break him.

Because Bartholomew Bogue always got what he wanted.

***

Alejandro Vasquez watched at the man in front of him with a mixture of amusement and disbelief, it was not every day that a _Wrangler_ comes looking for him not in order to turn him to justice, but to ask for his help, some sort of service and alliance at the same time. You don't ask those from wayward Dragon Riders, especially not wayward Dragon Riders with no dragons and a bounty over their heads.

"You're _loco_ , my friend," Vasquez laughed, while the lady he had so rudely wrestled to the ground with his lasso glared at him with the fire of a dragon herself, she was not, mind you, but her spirit was on fire nonetheless.

She was definitely a Rider, but something was incomplete. Vasquez could still feel the faint touch of a dragon in her… a dragon who was no more.

Well, damn.

He wanted to ask, curiosity crawling at his insides by the minute, but he had seen Riders lost their dragons before. Someone from his village once described it as a gaping wound that never heals. Vasquez had no doubt, what else could you expect when part of your soul died? He might be an outlaw with little regards for others now, but his mother taught him some manners.

"I hope you were not expecting a dragon here," Vasquez tells them with a smirk as he gets his horse, "Sorry to disappoint."

The female Rider, Emma Cullen, blinks at him, unimpressed. She must have notice there was no trace of fire on him, no union.

"What happen to your dragon?" she asks and Vasquez wants to laugh because that was the question he had tried to avoid asking her out of respect. Apparently, there was no time for formalities here, which was just fine by him.

"Never hatched," he shrugs. "The solstice brings the great Serpent-Dragon to breathe life for them, mine was not touched."

Emma frowned, "Oh."

Between them, Sam is listening, his eyes sparkling with interest but not pity and Vasquez is grateful for that.

"The Wranglers told you the reason?"

Vasquez stared ahead, but his mind was back on the Temple, where he held the stone-cold egg with a broken heart as he pleaded the Wrangled for help. The older woman shushed him with kind words in a tone filled with sadness, there was nothing she could do, the solstice had been their last chance.

Quetzalcoatl brought life for his people, but not for Alejandro's dragon.

"It was a long winter," he explained, repeating the words from the elder Wrangler, "The mother ignored the eggs that could not be saved, she knew before we did."

And not even the Serpent-God could give him another chance.

"Tell me about this man," he asked calmly, not wanting to revisit the memory that lead him away from the place he once called home, "He killed your dragon, didn't he?"

Emma lifted her head, anger flashing in her eyes, "Matthew was mine, and I was his… Bogue killed him before he could even change forms, because he dared to defend us."

"The man is dangerous," Sam continued, "I've never seen a Rider with more than one dragon, it shouldn't be possible, but—"

"He has at least half a dozen with him," Emma glared ahead, "Vicious like him, the lot of them."

Sam gave Emma a look, "Yet they didn't change forms."

"No," Emma confirmed as Vasquez rode closer to heard her better, "Not all the way, just showed scales and fangs, enough to breath fire, at least."

"Why would a rider of multiple dragons limit them in such way?" Vasquez asked, his curiosity and interest for this operation spiking the more he heard about it.

Sam looks at him and there's knowledge behind his eyes, Vasquez might not know much about Sam Chisolm yet, but he had the eyes of a Wrangler that had seen too much in his lifetime, just like the lady who gently placed Vasquez's unborn dragon in a nest of leaves and flowers, as he dusted it purple and orange, sparkling a path of salt and praying for a safe journey the chance to have a place in Mictlan, for a soul that was gone too soon.

Vasquez is sure Sam had seen many dragons in his life, he can feel the traces of those born under his watchful eye lingering in his presence like fire sparks in the night… old sparks…

"When was the last time?" he asks, looking at Sam, "Your last hatch."

Sam chuckles, a humorless sound in the dying daylight, "A long time ago."

A Wrangler with no hatchlings, a rider with no dragon and another one with a dead one… they made quiet the group, so far.

***

"And what's this guy going to bring?"

When Sam declared they were camping, Vasquez didn't protest, the old Wrangler knew what he was doing, yet after a few hours of silence, Vasquez was getting restless. Emma mentioned someone named Teddy was supposed to encounter them in the camp, Vasquez was sure was more to it than waiting.

"Ah, right there," Sam said, pointing to the night sky, where the stellar matt seemed to be disturbed, Vasquez narrowed his eyes.

"Dragon," he mumbled, and true to his assessment, a long dragon was descending towards their camp, while a horse rode on the ground, for Emma's expression, the man rider the horse must be Teddy.

Sam looked to the sky, following the dragon with his eyes as the creature landed, Vasquez had never seen this particular coloring on a dragon before. White iridescent scales, dark eyes and jet-black mane from the crown of its head to the tip of its tail.

Vasquez whistled, "Mira nada más que belleza."

"I'm not quite sure what just said my friend, but I'll assume it was something nice," a voice said from the dragon's back, where Vasquez just notice was a man, smiling down at them, "Good evening!"

"Goodnight Robicheaux," Sam greeted with a smile, "It's good to see you, my friend."

"Sam Chisolm!" the dragon lowered his chest to the ground, moving his shoulder to help Goodnight descent, "Aren't you going to introduce me?"

At some point Emma had walked past Sam to greet Teddy, who was talking in a hushed voice, sounding hopeful at least. She looked at the newcomer Rider and nodded, "Emma Cullen."

"Enchanté," he said with a light reverence, his gaze turned to Vasquez afterwards "And you are…?"

"Vasquez," his tone was clipped but not unkind, he was more interested in the dragon than the rider at the moment and it showed, "I've never seen a dragon like this before."

The dragon in question made a sound the Vasquez knew was a chuckled, showing his teeth in a draconian smirk. He clawed the ground, bumping Goodnight with his nose.

"This is Billy," the rider introduced with pride, walking towards the dragon in question to take the bags over his back, "C'est bien, chérie?"

Once Goodnight took the bags away, the dragon curled into himself, his scales shimmered and a glow covered them, getting smaller and taking another shape, until there was an Asian looking man standing before them, arranging his hair in a bun with one hand and dusting his clothes with another, Goodnight passed him a silver hairpin to finish the job.

In their human form, dragons have traces left of their original nature, Vasquez could see Billy's right away. He had scale patches around his eyes and check bones, not to mention sharp claw-like nails, they fitted him well.

"Billy," Vasquez said, amused, "You Wrangler named you Billy?"

"Of course not," the draconian rolled his eyes, "This one did."

Goodnight looked pleased with himself, "I _remembered_ it, mon cher, you picked it."

There was a strong relationship there and such was not uncommon. Vasquez had seen riders and dragons' relationships go from platonic to romantic and everything in between, holding part of each-other's soul was something sacred after all, and very personal.

Which made the whole thing with Bogue even more intriguing. There was no way Bogue could bond his soul to half a dozen dragons at the same time, nor that said dragons where willing to _share_ a rider, for the matter.

Vasquez rolled a cigar, staring at the night sky. He fell asleep with thoughts of broken eggs and shimmering scales in his mind.

***

Jack Horne was what a _pissed off_ Wrangled looked like and Vasquez couldn't even muster pity for the two bastards who got what it was coming to them. After Horne was done, he looked at the group, his eyes falling on Billy instantly. His gaze lingered on him for a moment, then shifted to the bodies, taking out their pockets the broken shells of several eggs.

"They wanted to sell them," Horne mumbled and Sam walked over him, searching the other body for the rest of the egg shells. From the outside, the shells looked like any other egg, but the inside was crimson, a few of them silver and some more vibrant blue.

"Are those…?"

"My last batch," Horne explained, gently placing the shells in a sack, "They're gone, now."

Sam looked solemn, "We're reuniting good people, for a mission," his voice was steady, but there was something else in his tone, "There's a man who took over a town, six dragons at his side."

"Bogue," Horne narrowed his eyes, "With his poison and cracked soul, taking land and lives wherever he goes…" Horne looked at Sam, "He should be dead."

"He should be," Sam agreed, "Yet…"

"Mad man," Horne said, disgusted. "I pity those dragons."

Horne agreed to join them, but Vasquez was unable to tell why. There was rage simmering in the source and some kind of understanding between Horne and Sam, both Wranglers speaking in a personal language Vasquez had no knowledge or insight.

Riders were the ones who bonded with dragons, given them the fuel to ignite, but Wranglers… they were the ones who gave them their initial spark.

***

They rode the canyon with a sense of dread, Vasquez was merely intrigued and hopeful no tribe will take offense in their crossing. With a dragon at their side it was less likely for them to be attacked, no that he had any doubt Billy was anything but deadly, but due the fact that dragons were very respected by Elders and youngers alike by the Natives.

"I had troubles with them, in a few occasions," Jack sighed, "Bad ones, but… there was an understanding, at least."

"Troubles?" Vasquez was unsure what the old Wrangler was talking about.

"Indians don't bond with dragons, they raise them as part of their people, united but free at the same time, few dragons are born these day with no need for a rider, the ones that do usually go with them, it's hard to tell, when they are small."

Vasquez hum in understanding, or a close as he could. The first year of a dragon was spent with the Wrangler's side, as the infants don't take human shape until much later. There was no point in taking the shape of a human child, it put them in more danger in survival than their natural forms.

"Sam is better than me at telling them apart," Jack mentioned, "The ones that no need riders."

"You didn't want to just leave them," Vasquez reflected.

Jack nodded, "A youngster on its own might not survive its first years, I don't like when that happens."

It was a good reason as any, Vasquez reflected. In his village the dragons stayed in the temple the first years, bonding with their riders and learning from each other, dragon and rider learnt from the Wranglers together.

"There's a dragon nearby."

Billy announced out of nowhere, startling Vasquez awake. Making all them look around the canyon around their camp for said creature.

"One of Bogues?" Emma wondered, her hands steady as she held her weapon close.

"No, unbonded," Billy narrowed his eyes but it was Sam who located the youngster first. He was in his draconian form, a Comanche warrior with a stoic expression, he had scales along the sides of his head, going down to his neck, joining at the base.

"Red Harvest," Sam and Horne said at the same time, and the Comanche tilted his head, the ghost of a smile in his lips.

It seems that not all of their dragons were dead, after all.

***

Faraday shuffled the cards, cut the deck, put it back together and shuffled it again. The motion was constant, and he was well aware the gesture was annoying McCann, which gave Faraday even more pleasure in doing it.

"Stop that, stupid lizard," the man growled at him, raising his gun as a threat.

Faraday raised an eyebrow, unimpressed with the gesture, "You're gonna shoot me or just enjoy holding that thing like it matters to me?"

McCann smirked, "You know this gun Faraday, don't pretend to be brave."

"Oh, look at me, I quiver with fear," the dragon mocked, but his eyes hardener with McCann prepared the gun.

McCann grinned at him, all teeth and malice, "Does it matter now, lizard?" Faraday closed his eyes, "Thought so."

The man lifted his gun after a long minute, holstering it afterwards. Faraday ignored his chuckles as he pocked his cards, and not for the first time he imagined himself setting the man on fire. The jewel under his hat pulsed, making him wince in pain.

Faraday's attention shifted from the pain to something else, he eyed the window curiously while McCann was already on his feet, walking outside to reunite with his men. What attracted Faraday's attention was something McCann couldn't tell, for Faraday is was the presence of _kin_ nearby.

At least, Bogue was not around.

It didn't take long for the shooting match to start, Faraday hear McCann yelling for him to get his ass outside, and Faraday contemplated his options. He leaned against the counter and shuffled his deck, uninterested.

His moment of peace didn't last, McCann came back with fury in his eyes, Faraday rose and eyebrow, "Yes?"

"Kill them," McCann ordered, taking Faraday by the front of his shirt and pushing him outside, "Kill them!"

Two wranglers, a rider, a bonded dragon, an unbonded dragon and an Igniter where in the street, weapons ready and in clear advantage. Faraday's eyes locked with the Igniter's for a moment, the pain at the top of his head momentarily forgotten, he felt his heart skip a beat as recognition filled him, he smiled.

"KILL THEM!" McCann screamed, breaking his moment.

Faraday's fingers twitched, looking around for a target, he felt his lungs fill with heat as the pain in his head made it hard to see. He gritted his teeth, a ragged breath escaping his lips along smoke, he glared towards McCann's direction.

"No, I don't think I will."

It was a whirlwind encounter from there, with the group firing at McCann and his men and Faraday just standing there, one of Bogue's men was about to shoot him when the dragon in the rooftops stopped him with an arrow, and when another one was about to take the Igniter down, Faraday lashed against him, a quick fire that caught him like a bullet, before pain almost blinded him as result of his defiance.

He panted, leaning against the nearest wall. He gave himself a second and took his guns out, shooting left and right towards the people he disliked so much and he made his way towards the dragon rider, who was not shooting at anything, a haunted expression on his face, he stopped when it was just McCann riding out of town, he almost screamed at the rider to shoot, but the white dragon's voice ringed in his mind with a warning, speech for only _kin_ to hear.

Faraday clapped his hands together, creating a fire bullet and prepared to throw it. Pain slammed between his eyes all the way to his toes, crooking his aim and therefor, his shoot.

"Damn it…"

He couldn't see, Bogue's voice was echoing in his ears with a curse. He gulped air like he was drowning, his temples pulsing with his rapid heartbeat. Moving blindly, he tripped and expected to fall to his knees, instead he was caught in someone's arms, after a moment he recognized the scent as the Igniter's, all sulfur and gunpower.

Despite the pain, he smiled. The liked that scent, he liked very much.

"He's one of Bogue's!"

He felt himself being dragged somewhere, time elapsed strangely around him, but he was angry at being reminded of Bogue, he gritted his teeth, feeling them sharper than usual, probably losing control over his form.

"N-No!" he shouted, then spat in the elder tongue all kind of profanities towards Bogue, and then some more.

"He doesn't agree with you," was that the white dragon? His physical voice felt familiar to the echo from before, "Yes, It's me, calm down."

The Igniter was back, his hand touched Faraday's forehead and the pain was lesser afterwards. Faraday blindly went for his hand and when the Igniter didn't resist, he guided him towards the top of his head, over the damn jewel the hated so much.

"What the hell?"

He felt fingers scratch around the jewel and he sighed in content, the pain subsiding slowly, until his vision was back and his head didn't feel like it was going to split if he so much as blinked.

Faraday was greeted with the Igniter's eyes on his, his figure hovering over Faraday's head, his fingers entangled on his hair and pressing on the cursed jewel, Faraday grinned at him.

"H-Hey sweetheart," he mumbled, feeling himself trembled involuntarily, "Where h-have you b-been?"

The Igniter frowned at him, "Do I know you?"

"No," Faraday said, unhappily. "But you should."

Before he could continue, the two Wranglers were over him with concerned looks in their eyes and oh, Faraday missed _this_ , not that he was about to admit it of course. The black man was looking mildly horrified while the one build like a bear mumbled words in draconian that made Faraday giggle, his pronunciation was not bad at all.

"Yes, he's a Jewel-Eater," Faraday answered the bear-like Wrangler's rambling, making the two Wrangler's stop immediately, "Oh come on!"

Faraday groaned, his neck stiff and the rest of his body uncooperative.

 _Sleep_ , the white dragon said, _just sleep_.

 _Too much pain_ , Faraday argued, but the shooting touch of _kin_ – the white dragon and the Comanche – distracted him from his physical predicaments, _oh, thanks guys…_

The Comanche dragon chuckled, while the white one sighed. But and it was fine, because Faraday was finally able to disconnect from consciousness.

***

Vasquez was not sure what he was doing by the unconscious dragon's side, he was no Wrangler, but Sam and Jack had asked him to stay after talking with Goodnight and Billy, the later one was giving him a weird look – dragon were weird in general to him, but Billy was making Vasquez feel agitated.

Slowly, Jack parted the sleeping dragon's hair, revealing a gleaming jewel incrusted in his cranium. It looked out of place, and Vasquez had to control the urge to try to rip it off.

"¿Qué ese eso?" he mumbled, "That thing… it looks wrong."

Jack hummed in agreement, gently touching the jewel, provoking a full body shudder from the sleeping dragon, Vasquez glared at him.

"That's a cursed stone," Jack told him, "I was hoping…"

"What?"

It was Sam who answered this time, "Cursed stones are used to hinder a dragon's will, they are loaded with magic, very old magic, in order to work."

"But such magic is like poison for dragons," Jack continue, his hand hovering over the dragon's head, "Slow venom, it was forbidden, many years ago."

"Guess Bogue didn't get the notice," Vasquez said behind gritted teeth, but he knew better, Bogue probably didn't care about the laws regarding any life, much less dragons.

Jack gently touched the jewel again, making the dragon move his head in protest along a keening sound. Goodnight made his way towards them, watching over Vasquez's shoulder.

"Oh, you poor thing," the rider sighed, looking towards Billy, "How long, do you think?"

"How long has he had that thing on his head?" Vasquez asked, his fingers itching to take it away but his mind aware he had no idea how.

"A few months, maybe a year," Billy gave his assessment, "His presence is still solid enough, but cracking, if we managed to break the binding, he might heal with no repercussions."

Sam nodded, "He's young, he has that advantage."

" _He_ is trying to sleep," mumbled the dragon, cracking an eye open, immediately fixing his gaze on Vasquez, a flirtatious glint in his eyes, "Ah, you didn't abandon me, sweetheart."

At such greeting, Vasquez couldn't help but chuckled, "Descarado, ni me conoces."

The dragon made a face, "I don't know that language."

Vasquez blinked, normally no matter the language, dragons were able to understand people, since they learn very quickly, it seemed this one had not been exposed to Spanish before.

"You have no shame," he repeated part of his previous words, "You got a name, güero?"

The dragon grinned at him, "Faraday," he said happily, "And you must be Alee-hand-dro."

He should be more concerned with the fact that this dragon knew his name than the way he was butchering it, Sam seemed to be.

"Hatchling," Billy called with authority and Faraday shifted his attention to him, "Why does Bogue has a cursed stone on you?"

Faraday groaned, anooyed, and slowly pushed himself into a sitting position with Vasquez's help, Jack and Sam were close by, both looked too concerned for Vasquez liking.

"Because I rejected him one too many times and he doesn't like to be told _no_ ," Faraday explained, "So he found my egg, eat the damn thing and cursed me."

"All of it?" Red asked, speaking for the first time since his arrival.

Faraday shook his head, "No, but enough to curse me."

"Eat the— what?" Vasquez had heard the myths about eating the dragon's egg shells, but every elder in the village told them it was damnation waiting to happen.

"Jewel-Eater," Sam said with a heavy, resigned tone, "The insides of a dragon's egg are patched with a layer of gemstone, a shield for the dragon against the world in more than one sense… there's a ritual… it is said that by eating the shell of a dragon's egg you can destroy a dragon's spiritual defense and—"

"Bind them to your will, being their rider or not," Faraday finished, "Also, you get your own soul crushed and cursed in the process and eventually you will die in a fire because robbing us from our will doesn't sit well with life itself, I was hoping it would happen to Bogue _months_ ago, damn bastard and his thrice dammed soul."

Faraday scratched at the jewel in his head, flinching when a sharp nail scrapped it. Vasquez took his hand away, "Stop that."

"But Aleee, it itches!" Vasquez narrowed his eyes, it had been so long since anyone called him _Ale_ , it sounded right in Faraday's lips, at last, "Aren't you goin' to take it off? Please?"

Vasquez gave him a confused look, his eyes shifting to Sam and Jack for some sort of explanation as to why this dragon thought he could do anything to take the cursed stone. He was not opposed to do it, on the contrary, but his willingness to help was not enough to actually solve snything, or so he thought.

"I can't, güero," he said apologetically, "I don't know how."

"With you hand," Faraday rolled his eyes, "And probably a dragon glass knife, I mean, it's going to hurt like hell, but I rather have that than the binding."

"You're not making sense to them, brat," Billy hissed, "The igniter doesn't even know what's going on."

"Oh," Faraday looked at Vasquez again, studying him in silence for a minute, "You don't… but… I thought…"

Suddenly, Faraday looked crushed, his shoulder slump and all the weight of disappointment on his face and hurt on his eyes. He shied away from Vasquez, mumbling for Jack and Sam to give him something to knock him off.

Vasquez had no idea what had caused Faraday's sudden shift but it was clear it had something to do with him, he looked for some sort of explanation from Jack and Sam but they were too busy checking over Faraday. His eyes landed on Goodnight, who was looking at Faraday sadly, the older rider motioned Vasquez to follow him then, and that was better than staying there with an upset dragon who won't even look at him anymore.

It sat wrong with him, seeing Faraday like that.

***

"What did I do?" he asked immediately, Red had followed them outside and was looming close, but remained silent, while Billy stayed behind.

Goodnight looked uncomfortable, but did his best to explain, "You never had a dragon, correct?"

"It died," Vasquez said, trying to not sound too bitter about it, "Inside the egg."

Goodnight licked his lips, "The egg turned to stone?"

"Yes."

"Ah," the older rider sighed, "Billy called you an _Igniter_ , it means you can set ablaze an already born dragon and bond to them," he explained calmly, but Vasquez was not.

"No, mi dragón murió prematuro," he hissed, his voice bitter. "I would've know if there was another one waiting for me, out there."

Goodnight motioned towards the building they have been a few minutes ago, "How do you think that hatchling knows your name, then?"

"What are you calling him a hatchling? He doesn't look that young to me," Vasquez tried to avoid the fact that Faraday knew him – that he said Alejandro should know him, but didn't – from the moment they met.

"He's in human form," Goodnight pointed out, "Did you see his dragon marks anywhere visible?"

"I don't know, maybe they're on his back," Vasquez pointed out as an option.

"Or…" Goodnight made a flourish with his hand, "He's yet to develop them, because he's young."

Alejandro pressed his lips together, he should be glad there was a chance for the fragment of his soul to be out there, but this was… he didn't…

"He was born waiting for me," Alejandro felt hollow, "But I never knew… I left the village after my dragon died… and that was it, there was no point in staying."

Goodnight remained silent for a long moment, "I'm an Igniter."

Vasquez gaze fell on him, "But Billy—"

"I found Billy as an adult," he pointed out, "My hatched dragon died, many years before that," his expression morphed into a sad smile, "She was a beauty… and part of me died with her."

The older rider looked into the sky and Vasquez could see the weight of time in his eyes, something forever lost in that memory. He had seen rider lose their dragons, Emma being the most recent… but very few had the chance to meet another.

 _Igniters_ … those could set ablaze more than one spark in their lives.

"Faraday," he mumbled, "No, that's not it, his name—"

"Don't!" Red stopped him, moving faster than he had ever see him do in the past few days, his eyes in dragon form, "That's for him to heard first, not us."

Numb, Alejandro nodded.

He covered his mouth with his hands, wondering if he had stayed in the village more time the elders would have been able to tell, to explain… It didn't matter now, he thought looking at the building where Faraday was, he had more important things than wallow in regret to do. 

***

When Faraday woke up, he felt a faint heat nearby. It was… cozy and pleasant, he wanted to curl around it and to forget the nights under Bogue's watch. He sighed, wondering how long until Bogue came back and this pleasant mirage he was in disappeared.

"Alee-hand-dro," he mumbled, it hurt to said it.

"It's Ale _jan_ dro," the person in question said, amused as Faraday almost jumped to the ceiling, "Buenos días, güero."

Faraday smiled, before his memory cached up and his excitement melted into disappointment once again, "What do you want?"

Vasquez looked uncomfortable, sitting in a chair besides him bed. Perhaps he had been there for a while. Faraday recognized him as the cozy heat he had felt before, surrounding him in a feeling he thought forgotten. 

"Lo siento," he said solemnly, "I'm sorry… I didn't know."

Faraday eyed him suspiciously, but he had been waiting for Alejandro since he could remember, years and years, each and every night, searching, waiting, until Bogue caught him.

"When I was young, my dragon died without even hatching," he began, "It was cold… so cold and silent, no matter what the Wranglers did, it turned from an egg to a stone, not even my prayer and sacrifice to the Serpent-Dragon could save it, it was gone before I even meet it…"

Faraday moved closer to him, "Oh sweetheart, I'm so sorry…"

Vasquez shook his head, "I left the village after that, and wander around, I never… Los Iniciadores de Fuego, the _Igniters_ in my village knew what they were but I…" he lifted his eyes, locking them into Faraday's, "My dragon didn't even _hatch_ , how could I be an _Igniter_ when I wasn't able to set _one_ fire into the world?"

The smile Faraday gave him had no trace of pity, on the contrary, it was filled with understanding, "Your prayer took her in the right direction, you know?"

"My prayer…?"

"With the salt, the yellow and purple flower dust, and the candles," Faraday explained. "I dreamt about it, she told me your name..." he said, " _Alejandro_."

His eyes itched, but Alejandro refused to cry. Instead he laughed, because of course Faraday would know that, _of course_ , he was the one. Alejandro took the young dragon's face in his hands and kissed his forehead, making him laugh.

"Thank you, güero, gracias por esta calma."

Faraday pressed his forehead against Vasquez, his toothy grin a display of how he was feeling better this morning. "So… _guero_ … it's that a name?"

Vasquez snorted, "No corazón, it's a nickname," he smiled. "Your name is _Joshua_."

"Joshua," he repeated, fascinated, "I like it."

***

Jack gently combed Joshua's hair away from the jewel incrusted in the top of his head, right over his hairline. The young dragon was sitting on a chair looking annoyed, Alejandro stood beside Jack, directly behind Joshua.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" he asked again, but Sam was far more patient than everyone expected.

"Partially," he said, "Once the jewel is gone, Faraday will be able to have more freedom over his own self, at least until those rings Bogue has are destroyed."

"Right, because those have a fragment of the egg shell in them," Vasquez continued, "Egg shell he also ate porque es un efermo bastardo."

"Sick bastard, yep," Faraday agreed, "I really don't understand why he's not dead yet, he has a thrice over cursed life."

"Only trice?" Goodnight asked, "He has six cursed dragons."

"Not really, one of them is supposed to be his _actual_ dragon, two follow him because they want power and the other two are just like me, unlucky bastards," he explained with a shrug.

Sam narrowed his eyes, "You said one of them is supposed to be his actual dragon, is he or is he not?"

"She, and no," Faraday answered. "They never bonded, Bogue is not a rider, not a _real_ one anyway," the dragon explained. "But the rest of his family is, so they got and egg, and took care of it until it hatched, eventually gave her to Bogue there you have Delilah, who dislikes not having a bond but knows no other wrangler or rider but Bogue."

"That's sad," Emma's voice is soft but she doesn't look too affected by the news to actually feel sorry.

"She's kind of a bitch, to be honest," Faraday said, "She doesn't get involve, though. Bogue lets her do whatever she wants and she prefers to do nothing, so… there's that."

The only thing Delilah has done for Bogue, recently, was defeat Faraday and get him into the cage where Bogue robbed him of his will. She had apologized to him, after the ritual, but her words were dry and uncaring, she might have felt sorry for him at some level, but not enough to give a damn and do something about it.

He wonders if she would feel something, if Bogue was gone.

"Well, are you going to take it off or not?" Faraday asked urgently, motioning to his head, "I'm waiting."

Jack hums, exchanging looks with Sam, "It's not going to be easy, son…"

"It's going to hurt like hell itself," Faraday declares, his eyes on Alejandro, "But it's better than the alternative."

Alejandro brushes his fingers over the diamond, it looks wrong and it doesn't fit with Joshua, his eggshell was surely a different gemstone than this poor substitute, no matter how fancy it might look, it was not meant to be for Joshua.

"Está bien, güero…" he agrees, exhaling softly and looks towards the Wranglers, "If we don't do this, Bogue can take control over him or worse."

Billy and Red move closer, each holding one of Joshua's arms. The younger dragon, for all his bravado, is looking nervous now, yet he smiles at Alejandro anyway and the Igniter wants to kiss him for that.

"Let's do this," Jack holds Faraday's head in place while Sam gives him a black knife Vasquez recognizes as obsidian, also called dragon glass by some.

He firmly presses his index and thumb over the main points of the diamond and with the knife, scrapes under it. Joshua twitches violently, biting back a shout, his breathing accelerating was Alejandro works the jewel with the knife and his own fingers.

"Lo siento Josh, está bien, vas a estar bien, solo un poco más," he assures over and over again, working as fast as he cans without damaging Joshua's skull.

The blood is pouring down Joshua's face. Jack's firm hold on his head is the only thing keeping Alejandro from accidently stabbing Joshua, as well as the older dragon's keeping him in place. Sam gently cleans the blood around the jewel for Alejandro to work, his eyes checking over Joshua constantly.

Alejandro it's halfway through the task when Joshua can't no longer hold his pained screams, babbling something in the draconian tongue a mile per minute. Billy is talking to him in the same language, he sounds calm and firm, reassuring the youngster in a time of need. Red doesn't talk, not in a voice for humans to heard anyway, but in their _kin_ speech.

It feels like hours, when Alejandro it's finally able to pluck the jewel from his dragon's head with trembling fingers covered in blood. Joshua's eyes are closed, he's panting and the only thing keeping him upright are the people holding him. Alejandro drops the diamond into Sam's hand and moves to help Billy and Red move Joshua onto the bed.

Jack is there with medical supplies, working on the wound left behind by the jewel under Alejandro's watchful eye.

They need to defeat Bogue, now more than ever. Not only for the people of Rose Creek, but for Joshua as well, if they don't break the curse, Alejandro will never be able to fully bond with him and the mere idea terrifies him.

He thought he was alone for the vast majority of his life, this was no longer the case. But he had to fight to keep it that way.

***

Joshua woke up feeling warm and safe. He was sore and his head was killing him but that didn't diminish the _warm and safe_ feeling around him.

"There you are, corazón," Alejandro said softly, prompting Joshua to open his eyes, "How do you feel?"

Joshua gave him a toothy grin, "Mu _cho_ me _jor_."

Alejandro chuckled, "You accent is atrocious, but I'm glad you're feeling much better now."

"Give me a break, I been learning for only a couple of days," he stretched his arms and legs, feeling like himself for the first time in who knows how long. He still couldn't change forms, or properly bond with Alejandro, but at least he could think without getting his head split in two.

"Si, lo sé," Alejandro rolled his eyes, "We're almost done with the preparations."

"Bogue is coming?" his voice didn't break and he felt absurdly proud of that, "When?"

"Tomorrow at dawn," he grimaced, "Red flew over and saw him coming, with a goddamn _army_."

Joshua sighed, he knew Bogue's return was inevitable, still…

He closed his eyes and then got up, ignoring Alejandro's urges to take it slow. There was not time for him to take things slow, there was much to do and very little time.

"Joshua!"

"No, listen to me!" the dragon said, turning around to hold Alejandro's face on his hands, "We need to be ready and really," he grinned, "I always wanted to blow something up."

***

Dawn comes to Rose Creek with a somber shade, ironically appropriate for a battle. Faraday was able to feel the dragons before he was able to see them, their signatures familiar even in his dislike. It was so different from having Billy and Red around, kin he actually liked.

Delilah is with Bogue, and so are Denali and Charlotte, both looking for blood, while behind them Rose and Wyatt look apprehensive as ever, working for a man pretended to be a rider, holding them against their will with a metaphorical leash.

There's a buzz around his ears, the kin tongue from Delilah reaches Faraday even as the tries to tune her out.

 _Your ring is cracked, hatchling, and Bart is very, very angry_. She sounds more bored than mocking, a tone Faraday believes is her standard.

Charlotte on the other hand… she sounds maniac as ever, she laughing and Faraday manages to ignore her mocking words and threats, rejecting Denali's touch as well. He hates their voices, and has no restrain in pushing them out, focusing on Billy's voice instead.

 _So those two are the willing ones_ , he muses, looking ahead from his post on the Church, _humm_.

 _They are crazy_ , Faraday hisses. _Rose and Wyatt will fight, even if they don't want to, it hurts too much otherwise._

 _I'll knock them out_ , Red decides and Faraday has no doubt he will be able to do it.

The silence prolongs only for another heartbeat, then Denali changes forms and his roar calls Bogue's men to attack. Faraday closes his eyes, his hand founds Alejandro's and they hold each other firmly for a moment, before letting go and running into the firefight.

***

Joshua might not be able to freely shift forms yet, but he was able to blow something up none the less, dynamite is not the greatest substitute for his inner fire, but it will have to do for the moment, he's running and firing his guns left and right, until something sharp catches him at his side and he feels a pain that send his to his knees.

McCann is smirking at him, the gun with those damn cursed bullets Bogue commissioned in his hand. He warned Red and Billy about those, bullets with cursed jewels shards in them, they hurt like ice, he knows this firsthand.

McCann is coming for him, but Alejandro is shooting already, a string of curses in Spanish accompanies his rightful fury at seeing his companion – his dragon, his Joshua – hurt prompting him to unload his gun on McCann, until the man was dead and in a pine box.

Joshua, from his cover spot, giggled behind clenched teeth.

"Are you alright, güero?"

"So far so good!"

***

Joshua wished he had more room to admire the efficient way Red takes down two dragons like it as nothing then fight a third one with all fierceness of a born and raise warrior, but he was busy running for cover as the gatling gun rains bullets around them. At the Church, Billy has changes forms, curled around the tower – and therefor, Goodnight – to protect his rider from the weapon known as the devil's breath.

Faraday is breathing heavily, wishing he could do the same for Alejandro, but he can't, not while Bogue's cursed ring still hold some power over him.

"The children!"

Young lives come first and Faraday's mind is racing with fear, they have to protect the children, the future of Rose Creek is so much more than the land, it's the people.

***

Watching Red and Denali fly over Rose Creek in fury is a sight to be seen. Billy lashing at Bogue's men with sharp teeth and talons almost makes Faraday smile. But they are in danger and Alejandro's pained cry at being caught by one of the bullets almost sends Faraday over the edge of his own mind.

He can't change forms, he can't defend his future Rider from Bogue, but he must. He makes a decision, asking Sam for cover as he runs to get on a horse and ride as fast as he can.

"Joshua!" he heard Alejandro scream in his ears and in his mind.

 _I'm sorry darling_ , he thinks, _I have to do this_.

Goodnight takes down the men following Joshua, he can hear Billy's roar and see Red's fire on the corner of his eyes, but his attention is ahead. He gets shot, one, two, three times, he barely feels it, but the fourth one hits him and the pain takes him from the horse and onto the ground.

Cursed bullets.

He grits his teeth and stands up, biting a scream when another cursed bullet hits him, he falls to his knees and grins, locking his eyes with Bogue's men.

"I had always been lucky with one-eyed Jacks…"

Dynamite is a poor substitute for his inner fire, but it does the job just fine.

***

The stars above him are beautiful, a stellar mantle over the world, sparkling like millions of souls watching over the living in silence. He doesn't remember the last time he really admired the stars, such things seemed to lost meaning when he was too busy keeping himself alive.

"You," says a voice with a familiar boredom, "Are and insane child."

Faraday turns around, facing the dragon with caution. She, just like himself, is in human form, her arms folded over her chest, and the sapphire scales on her forehead glimmer softly in the endless pace around them.

"Delilah… come on, I'm tired… I'm done with Bogue."

"Yes, of course," she rolls her eyes. "He's done, period, but you? You're not done, Faraday."

He tilts his head, a silent question in his eyes, "I'm not dead?"

"No," Delilah confirms, "Nearly so, but it seems your Igniter has chosen the perfect time to do his job."

"Alejandro," he breathes and Delilah chuckles, "You're happy, that's… weird."

The elder dragon shocks her head, walking closer to him, "I'm _amused_ , it's quite different, and now…" he touches Faraday's chest with her fingers and _pushes_ , "Away with you."

The world around him catches on fire… and it the best thing Joshua has ever feel.

***

Alejandro collects every thought of fire and life in pushes them towards Joshua, until everything is a flame and the world on fire, life under the ashes, a spark towards tomorrow.

"¡Por favor, regresa!" he pleads, "Joshua!"

His thoughts were fire and so, fire he summoned. The force knocks him on his back but the flames don't burn him and the smoke doesn't chock him, he coughs while sitting up, his gaze landing on the most beautiful creature he has ever seem.

Joshua's scales are a deep polished copper with flickers of green, his eyes a bright emerald color. Now Alejandro can see how young he is, for a dragon anyway. His double horns are yet to reach sharpness, same for his claws. Still, he's big as a house and his wing spam can easily cover half a dozen people, probably more.

He lowers his head towards Alejandro and the rider reaches to touch him between his eyes. The scales under his palm deepened in color, shifting to a bright green. Alejandro can feel Joshua, his heartbeat, his soul knitting with his own, as it was meant to be.

Joshua emits a happy sound and Alejandro, for the first time in his life, breaths with full peace.

***

Delilah doesn't mourn Bogue – at least not outload, but the way she holds her hands together in a white-knuckle hold tells Faraday she's feeling _something_ – and barely spares a thought for Denali and Charlotte, knowing they sought their own demise. She makes sure Sam crushes the rings holding Rose and Wyatt before leaving Rose Creek with her two charges and the body of the man that called himself her rider, not even sparing a look towards Faraday.

Rose Creek is safe and they survived.

"Come one," Jack encourages Faraday, not mining his own healing wounds, "Open them up."

Joshua extends his wings for Jack and Sam to check. He barely remembers the Wrangler that saw him hatch, and craves the attention of these people who saved his life and gave him the missing half of his soul back, it's not something he thought he would ever have.

 _You're a child_ , Billy pushes against his mind, _one step from flopping on your back to show them your underbelly._

 _That's for Ale, thank you very much,_ Faraday points out, earning an eye roll from the elder dragon _._

Red makes no comment, but Faraday can tell he's amused.

After the checkup, Faraday turns into his human form, practically jumping towards Alejandro, who dodges his tackled with a laugh.

"Easy there, güero, come here," he takes Faraday's arm, walking from the others towards the towline, "You gave me a scare, cabrón."

Faraday doesn't deny it, because it had to be done, but he sends an apologetic wave towards Alejandro nonetheless.

"I'm here now."

"You are going to be a handful," Vasquez sighed, resting his forehead against Joshua's.

The dragon blinks a couple times, "Hmm…. Yes."

Alejandro chuckles and Joshua gives him a toothy grin, then leans closer to catch his lips on his own, waiting for Alejandro, who takes on the kiss immediately, feeling everything and more in the gesture.

He's home.

**Author's Note:**

> Translations:
> 
> \- Mira nada más que belleza: Look at that beauty.  
> \- Enchanté: Enchanted, Nice to meet you.  
> \- C'est bien, chérie?: Is this fine, darling?  
> \- Mon cher: my dear.  
> \- ¿Qué ese eso?: What is that?  
> \- Descarado, ni me conoces: Cheeky/Sassy, you don't even know me.  
> \- No, mi dragón murió prematuro: No, my dragon had a premature death.  
> \- Buenos días: Good morning.  
> \- Güero: Fair skined or Blonde (or both at the same time, lol)  
> \- Lo siento: I'm sorry.  
> \- Los Iniciadores de Fuego: The Fire Igniters (title drop!)  
> \- Corazón: Heart.  
> \- Porque es un efermo bastardo: because he is a sick bastard.  
> \- Está bien: It's fine/Okay.  
> \- Lo siento Josh, está bien, vas a estar bien, solo un poco más: I'm sorry Josh, it's fine, you're going to be fine, just a little longer.  
> \- Mucho mejor: Much better.  
> \- Si, lo sé: Yes, I know.  
> \- ¡Por favor, regresa!: Please, come back!  
> \- Cabrón: a meaner form for idiot.


End file.
